Accessibility

The South African National Parks Board has been recognized internationally for being a leader in creating accessible destinations that all people regardless of their mental, sensory or physical capabilities can visit without any difficulties. The shape of the natural environment and uninformed people’s attitudes and actions often limits this, but still within all parks many wonderful opportunities exist for those people with special requirements.

Chris Patton, the recipient of the 2005 "Rob and Julie Filmer Award" granted by Eco-Access

Chris, who works for South African National Parks received the 2005 award for his ongoing efforts to making our natural areas in South Africa accessible to people with disabilities. In particular, Chris has worked tirelessly to ensure that our National Parks are accessible to all South Africans regardless of their ability.

A bit more about Eco-Access

It was founded in 1994 by Rob and Julie Filmer to champion the rights of disabled people to access the natural environment. Rob is a blind conservationist who worked as a ranger in Mpumalanga (then the Eastern Transvaal) before losing his sight through diabetes. The organisation has also combined this objective with a focus on addressing the high levels of disempowerment and segregation experienced by disabled children. Consequently Eco-Access's ultimate objective has been to use access to the natural environment as a medium to empower both disabled and non-disabled people, specifically children, by allowing them to participate in an interactive learning process called "Twinning" (where for example a sighted child is twinned with a blind child on a nature trail).